Most Longmont council members had already tentatively agreed that if the town does allow marijuana sales, it should allow no more than four such shops

With two members absent from Tuesday night’s study session, Longmont’s City Council postponed giving the city staff much in the way of even informal directives about policies they’d prefer to pursue to prepare for the possibility that marijuana sales establishments would be allowed to operate in the city.

Among the questions left to be considered are what specific commercial, industrial or mixed-use zoning districts could include marijuana sales shops, how far away any such businesses would have to be separated from nearby schools or residential neighborhoods, and what sales-tax rate the city might apply to marijuana products sold in those shops.

Since two council members were absent, the council members attending the study session agreed with Mayor Dennis Coombs’ suggestion that they delay giving the staff any informal direction until a full council can be present at a future meeting.

Councilmen Brian Bagley and Jeff Moore are on a visit to Ciudad Guzmán, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, one of Longmont’s sister cities, but they’re expected to be back for the council’s July 25 meeting.

Most council members had already tentatively agreed that if Longmont does allow marijuana sales, it should allow no more than four such shops to operate inside the city. But that four-shop limit has yet to get a formal council action.

A majority of council members had earlier also agreed that no pot shops should be allowed in any residentially zoned districts or in the downtown-area central business district.